LeBron James dons 'DJ Clark Kent Nike Air Force 1' to pay tribute to death of hip-hop pioneer Rodolfo Antonio Franklin II

LeBron James and the LA Lakers are facing the Detroit Pistons in a road game on Monday. Before the four-time NBA champion took the court, he paid tribute on social media to hip-hop pioneer Rodolfo Antonio Franklin II, widely known as DJ Clark Kent, who died late last month.

Franklin was one of the first big names in the hip-hop industry production. From the early 1980s, he played a big role in giving stage to some of the biggest rappers in the hip-hop industry.

Ahead of the game, LeBron James posted a video of his shoe dedicated to Franklin on his Instagram story. The tongue of the Nike LeBron that the Lakers star wore had the text "DJ Clark Kent" written on it.

"God's favorite," the Lakers superstar wrote in the caption tagging the legend.

Take a look.

​

LeBron James pays homage to hip-hop pioneer Rodolfo Antonio Franklin II [Credit: IG/@kingjames]

According to the New York Times, Franklin was the most influential figure when the hip-hop industry was in its natal days. With the industry peaking in the 1990s, Franklin’s career also reached its prime. He initially worked as a DJ, but by the 1990s, he had made a name for himself as a producer.

He worked as a producer for some of the industry's biggest artists, like Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Kanye West. In the later part of his life, Franklin started to take an interest in the sneaker industry and designed some sneakers with Nike and Adidas.

It was only right that a player of LeBron James caliber gave proper respect to the hip-hop legend.

LeBron James endorses Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris for President

LeBron James endorsed Kamala Harris, the nominee from the Democratic Party, for president on Thursday on X.

​

"What are we even talking about here?? When I think about my kids and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me. VOTE KAMALA HARRIS!!!" James tweeted.

Given his public feud with former President Donald Trump, it was obvious that James would not stand in support of Trump in this election.

Moreover, he is not the only NBA superstar who is supporting Harris. Previously, Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry also landed his support for Harris.

​